A Mothers Love Never Dies
by the-great-snape-debate
Summary: Edwards mother Emma hired a private detective to find her long lost son. After 20 years of searching he's finally found. What happens when Edward catching the detective that's been following him? ((Takes place at least ten years after Arkham Knight - may contain spoilers))
1. Chapter 1

**A Mother's Love Never Dies**

"I will love you forever and beyond, and I promise to guide you, even when I am gone. A mother's love never dies."

Edward turned a corner into a dark back alley, away from the busy street he'd been walking on. He picked up his cane so it no longer clicked on the cement. Someone was following him. He was sure of it. He glanced behind him, and when he saw no one was there he slipped into a narrow alcove in the wall.

He held his breath as a man came into the alley. So … He was right. Of course he was, he was always right. But why was this man following him? He'd have to find out.

The man looked around confused, no doubt wondering where he'd gone. Edward watched him as he walked a bit quicker down the alley, probably thinking Edward had already made it to the other street. But no, Edward was far too clever for that.

The man walked through the alley and was surprised when two hands grabbed onto his jacket and pulled him into the alcove. "Why are you following me?" Edward asked slamming him back into the wall, his cane hooked on his elbow.

The man looked at him wide eyed. "I … I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You've been following me for three days now. At first I thought maybe, just maybe it was coincidence. But you were on the subway car with me yesterday, and now you're following me again. Why?" He demanded pulling him forward and slamming him into the wall again. Edward wasn't a large man by any means, but the man was even smaller than he was, and was evidently too cowardly to try to stop him.

"I was hired …. I'm a … a private detective." He said looking up at Edward's bright green eyes.

"Hired by who?" He asked. The man hesitated. "HIRED BY WHO?!" Edward yelled slamming him back into the wall again.

"Your mother!" The man said making Edward pause. His grip loosened but the man made no attempt to escape. He knew better. He wasn't from Gotham, but in his investigation he learned what Edward was capable of, and who his connections were.

"That's impossible." Edward said. "My mother died years ago." He said backing away from the man a moment before he slammed him back into the wall again. "Tell me the truth!"

"That is the truth!" The man said rubbing his head from where he'd hit it on the brick wall. "Your mother is Emma Nashton. She's still alive. Your father lied to you. She's been looking for you for almost twenty years now. Since he died."

"Where is she?" Edward asked. The man looked around nervously. Edward shook his head. He didn't have time for this. He pulled out his gun and put it against the man's throat. "I'm a very impatient man, Mr …." He paused.

"Polton."

"Mr. Polton …" Edward said taking the safety off. "I wouldn't suggest keeping me waiting." The man swallowed nervously and looked at the gun. Edward sighed. "I'm going to give you to the count of three Mr. Polton …. Is client confidentiality really more important than your life?" Edward asked.

"One ….." He put his finger over the trigger. "Two …."

"She's at the Idaho Memorial Hospital, on Main and Fifth." He said, sweat running down his face. Edward smiled but didn't take the safety off.

"Very good Mr. Polton, you learned how to answer a simple question. I have another." He said. "How much did you tell her about me?" He asked.

"Nothing." Polton said as Edward pressed the gun harder against his throat. "I swear I didn't tell her anything! All the files are in my car! I haven't given her anything yet." He said so desperately that Edward had no doubt he was telling the truth.

"Good, then we'll go for a little walk." He said taking the safety off and putting the gun in his pocket though he kept his hand there in case Polton tried anything. "I want those files … Everything you got from me. I want it." The man nodded nervously and made his way down the alley. "Why is she looking for me?" He asked.

"She's been looking for you since your father died, Mr. Nygma. I have no idea why. It was hard to find you, you left no records of your name change. The only reason I found you was because she showed me a picture of you when you were a teenager. I saw your picture in a newspaper once, years ago. I thought the similarity was too coincidental so I looked into it more." He said as they reached the car which was parked in another empty alley. He pulled out a file folder and handed it shakily to Edward. Edward took it and tucked it under his arm.

"I trust this will stay between you and I?" Edward asked. "Unless you wish me to take things further. With your investigation, I'm sure you learned what I'm capable of."

"Y-Yes, Mr. Nygma." He said quietly.

"Good. Then you a released from duty and are no longer on this case." He said flipping through the folder. The man had some personal photos of him. One however …. He pulled from the file.

"How did you get this?" He asked turning the photo towards him to show him which one.

"I …." The man paused.

"HOW?!" He asked. The man backed up against his car.

"I was in your house …. I …. I didn't know you'd be coming home. I hid … It seemed the perfect opportunity to-"

"To invade my privacy?!" He asked angrily. "I suppose this was the kind of information my mother was after hmm?" He asked.

"N-No …" The man said, his face turning red.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Edward asked. "Have fun jerking off in my closet? Did my mother really hire you, or were you just looking for an excuse to peep on us?" He asked. "Or perhaps that's why you took the case. Thought it an ample opportunity."

"No, it's not like that I just …. I was hiding, like I said I wasn't expecting you to come home, let alone …. Have …. Company." The man said moving against his car in hopes of making an escape to the alley entrance, but he knew he would never make it.

"You should have told us you were there Polton. I'm sure Harley would have loved to put on a better show. Now I'm going to give you a choice here Polton." He said pulling out his gun. "I was going to let you go, but …. Given the change in atmosphere between us …. I'm going to give you a choice." He said aiming his gun at him. "Either I can kill you now …. Or I can take you home to Harley …. She loves playing with her toys before she kills them."

"Batman-"

"NEWS FLASH … Batman is gone. Bruce Wayne is dead …. Years ago! Hasn't come back … You're shit out of luck. So …. Your choice …. Me, or Harley." Polton looked nervously at the gun before making his decision. He bolted.

Edward sighed as the man ran for the alley. "They always have to run." He said as he aimed his gun and shot Polson squarely in the head. He shook his head as he placed the file folder on the trunk of the car, flipping through the pictures that the man had taken. There were a few of him walking home from work, one of him at a toy store, one of him at the park with his daughter Enna. This one was taken months ago … How long had Polson been following him? Why was he just noticing now? He was getting sloppy. He pocketed the photo of him and Enna, found one of him and Harley the same night he'd been in their closet. This was before hand. Harley was wearing a simple dress, setting on the edge of the bed. He sat on his knees behind her, one hand on her shoulder, the other on her arm.

That was when she told him she was pregnant again. They were going to have another baby. He'd been so happy, it was such a personal moment …. And he'd been there for the whole thing. Every loving comment, every stroke, every caress, every moan, he'd watched it all.

He took the photo of them sitting so happily on the bed and put in in his pocket along with the one of him and Enna at the park. He closed the folder and walked down the alley and around the corner, absentmindedly tossing it into a bin that was burning, the few homeless people around it looking at him curiously.

"Let it burn." He said as he kept walking down the alley. He'd have to do a little research of his own. If his mother really was alive …. Perhaps he'd pay her a little visit.

((A/N – I'm thinking only two chapters for this, trying to keep things a little short, but I might write a prequel on how they got together. Enna's name is pronounced E-Na. Like the letter E and then Na. Anyway hope you all liked, and as always please leave a review. I'll try to get chapter 2 up soon))


	2. Chapter 2

Edward always hated hospitals. They smelled … Way to clean. Not clean but … Perhaps sterile was the proper term? Like cleaning chemicals. It also reminded him too much like Arkham. Despite being a regular hospital, it was still, in fact, a hospital.

Edward went up to the reception desk. "I'm here to see Ms. Nashton." He said quietly.

"Her first name?" The woman said typing into her computer without even looking up at him.

"Emma." He said looking around.

"And your relation?" She asked, still not looking up at him.

"I'm her son." He said, and for the first time she looked up at him.

"I didn't know she had a son. She's been here, in and out for years, never mentioned you." She said

handing him a clip board. "Just sign your name here please, she's in room 6F down the hall." Edward picked up the pen that was taped to a string and signed his name. His birth name. 'Eddie Nashton.'

He handed her back the clipboard and headed down the hall, his hands sweating as he fiddled with the flowers he held in his hand. Was it really her?

Edward reached the door which was propped open and stuck his head in. It was a small room, only one bed, a private room. Edward was thankful for this. This would be hard enough as it was. The curtain however was partially closed and he couldn't see her. His heart hammered in his chest as he stepped forward.

He cleared his throat as he made his way around the corner. "Hello." He said quietly. The old woman in the bed was most definitely his mother. Very aged, in her eighties by now, as he had just hit fifty himself. The woman looked up at him, her eyes hadn't changed since he'd last seen her. God that had to have been, what? Thirty four, thirty five years ago? He'd run away when he was sixteen and hadn't seen her since. And then he'd gotten word years after that she'd passed away …. God how many years were wasted.

"Hello." The woman said looking up at him, confusion clear in her bright green eyes. Eyes that were just like his. "Who are you?" It's not surprising really that she wouldn't recognize him. He'd changed so much since he was sixteen.

Edward moved towards the bed and sat down in the chair next to it. "It's me … Eddie." He said quietly. She looked at him and instant recognition came over her features.

"Eddie!" She said, a smile instantly coming to her face. "Oh my goodness, yes … I see it now. Eddie my boy!" She said moving to sit up. He stopped her that she wouldn't pull out any of the tubes attached to her. She was clearly very weak.

"Relax. It's okay." He said as she laid back down, tears springing to her eyes.

"Is it really you?" She asked. He smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yes mother. It's me." He said quietly as she took his face in her hands.

"Oh my boy!" She said pulling him down into a hug, Edward gently hugging her back as she cried tears of joy. "All these years I prayed, I prayed to God you were safe and happy somewhere in the world. That you'd come back to me. That you were alive. All these years I prayed and prayed … And God brought you back to me." She said her hands shaking as he pulled back from the hug.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I was informed that you passed away a long time ago. I would have come looking for you. I …. I'm sorry I ran away."

"No … No you never apologize for that my boy." She said quietly. "Your father he … There was no excuse. I'm happy you got away. But please … Tell me. Ease my curious mind. Where have you been? What have you been doing all these years? Tell me you're happy."

Edward smiled slightly. "I am very happy. I work for a video game company, developing video games. I'm married, we have a daughter named Enna. I just found out last week that we're having another. We haven't thought of any names yet though. We'll probably discuss that once we know the gender." He said as his mother looked even happier. He couldn't tell her anything more. It would break her heart to find out about the crimes he'd committed, the people he'd killed, the time he'd spent the Arkham. She didn't need to know about all that. Besides … He was better now. Deemed a fully functioning member of society by Arkhams best psychologist.

"Do you have a photo?" She asked. "I have grandchildren." She said as if she couldn't believe it.

"I do." He said, pulling out the two photo's he'd taken from the private detective. He handed them to her and she looked at them with shaking hands.

"Oh, this is your wife!" She said looking at the photo of him and Harley. "She's beautiful. What is her name."

"Harleen." He said. "But everyone calls her Harley." He said as she looked at the second picture.

"Oh your daughter is just beautiful." She said running her fingers over the photo. "She looks a lot like you."

"God, I hope not." He said with a laugh. "You can keep those if you want." He said. He knew his mother would like to have a picture of him and his family.

Emma didn't know what to say as she looked up at Edward. Her beautiful baby all grown up. Married and with children. Her heart swelled with joy, and she'd never been happier.

((A/N – Aaaaaaand Happy end ….. I was going to make it a sad end but …. I just …. I couldn't do it! So …. Happy end! Please leave a review. Thank you. And hope you enjoyed))


End file.
